Getting Started
What the GM needs to get started:
- A large map with distinctly delineated (and named) territories:
We now use a map of the GW Old World, with a few hundred small territories.
We also have used a blown up photocopy of Avalon Hill's "Civilization" Game.
Has Most of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, all divided into a
number of small, named (and points valued) territories. Works very well, but
others do too. We have also used the map of Milton Bradley's "Samurai Swords"
game, with equal success. It depends a lot on the number of players involved.
- A smaller personal copy of the same map
- A central place to play
- An Official Alliance Sheet
- A shoebox or other container for orders
- A 3-ring binder to be used to record each battle, with losses taken by
each side and so on. A sample battle record sheet will be added to this page
soon.
- A folder for each player
- Players, of course!
What a player needs to play:
- An army (1500 points to start) More info on army allowances later.
- Big-headed brass tacks to be painted distinctly for your army
(to mark territories you own)
- Straight-pins and some sort of card banners to mark the location of
your armies
- Roster sheets or just regular paper
Gamemaster Preparation:
- Give each territory a points value (usually between 100-1500 points,
mostly 400-1200). More help on setting these later.
- Give each territory a roughly equivalent item relative to the points
value (Don't create a 100 point territory that provides 3 character points)
As a general rule, every 500 points of territory value should provide one slot
of some sort, and each territory should provide at least 1 slot.
- delineate a given number of "capital" locations based on the number
of people playing. These are identical, and contain/provide the following:
- A castle
- 500 points
- 3 Character Points (more on that later)
- 1 War Machine Slot
- 1 Monster Slot
- 3 Special Slots
- 1 Rare Slot
- 75 points of Magic Items
- Record ALL of this information on your personal small map. Points value
of each territory, what it provides, and which are starting locations. Guard
it with your life, and don't lose it!!!
- Number all of the capital locations, and allow players to pick numbers to
see where they get to start.
- Keep all information on each player (rosters they submit to you, starting
territories, territories they control and what they provide, etc.)
in their folder. Keep that for your records, and only let them see their
folder if they for some reason lost their stuff. (Of course, never let a
player see someone ELSE'S folder!!) :)
- Encourage each player to keep their own records. To really encourage
this, you may wish to charge a player game income each time they ask to see
their official personal folder.
- Make sure there are always plenty of blank battle report sheets every week.
